So where's the monkey?

Monkey Mia Travel Blog

We hit the track the next morning with a plan to do all the preparation for the next day as well. We'd get to Coral Bay later in the day and Paddy had said we'd probably want to grab a couple of disposable underwater cameras for the snorkeling there.

The National Park all along this area of the coast has been cleared of all predators and non-native animals. So as you turn of the highway and wind your way along the road to get out to the coast, you pass through a protective fence that encompasses the whole park.

Now when I say protective I don't just mean solid or robust. This is a very odd fence!

As we approached the gap allowing vehicle access the fence started barking at us.

A-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Yep, BARKING!!

Apparently this is all about scaring off the rabbits etc that would want to come in and feast on the wildflowers and native shrubsor spread their deseases like TB etc. Well I'd never been barked at by a fence before so I was impressed. I hope it works well, it's certainly cheaper to feed and a big dog!

Instead of seeing any Monkey we saw a whole two or three busloads of tourist standing knee-deep in the ocean waiting for a small pod of Dolphin to come in for the daily offering of food that the park rangers provided.

Petra was pretty disgusted by it all as she believed these wild creatures should be left to their own devices rather than being made into a spectacle for the masses. I was nonplussed. I stood well back from the water and considered the whole thing as part of my experince - plus I didn't have to get my feet wet.

Coral Bay Hostel

I was actually more interested in what was going on away from the water anyway.

The ranger's huts had a sprinkler in front and there were two very happy Pelicans enjoying the drink and shower combo. It was a bit of a hoot and I watched them dance under the water for a while.

We then wandered around the area and I noticed a spider web. It was HUGE! The spider was sizable, sitting in the middle of the net, but I tell you this web must have covered a good 2-3m square as it stretched between a couple of trees. I wondered how many tourists busses had left Monkey Mia with one less passenger.

From here went around to a little bay that I can't recall the name of. Instead of sand the beach was all tiny shells. It was V.Cool!!

Having said it was very cool, I should now go on to say it looked like just the spot for a swim. The water looked pritine and it was a spectacular day! I removed my shoes and wandered down into the shallows.

CRIPES!!! Not V.Cool, just BL*#DY cold!!! I decided against swimming.

It was then that we returned to the main highway, out along the winding road and through the barking fence so we could continue on to Carnarvon where we had to get some lunch and buy an underwater camera if we wanted one.

This whole area has recently suffered flooding as a result of tropical storms howling in off the Indian Ocean. Paddy pointed out the debris hanging in the trees as we drove along the highway. Most of it would have been above my head and I realised how much water must have flowed across here.

Coral bay isn't too far off the main highway and when we arrived we got ourselves settled into the hostel and wandered down to the beach for a look around.